Both Stark and Strange were geniuses.
From the very first time Luo Bai met them, he had a strong feeling that they wouldn't get along.
However, he had been too busy before to pay much attention to their interactions.
But now, after bringing them together, he immediately sensed something wasn't right.
All because of the New York Sanctum Guardian position, the two of them had started arguing.
Seeing Stark try to play the emotional card, Strange mercilessly retorted,
"Or maybe… your talent just isn't as great as mine?"
Stark frowned and immediately shot back, "Not as talented as you? Please. You just have a slightly better memory. Do you seriously think that makes you better than me?"
"Isn't it?" Strange countered. "You said you started learning before me, yet I'm progressing faster than you."
As soon as he said that, Stark snapped, "So what if you're learning quickly? That doesn't mean you can beat me in a real fight. Once I finish my anti-magic suit, you'll see who's really stronger."
"Anti-magic suit? You really think you can pull that off?"
"Oh? You wanna test it out, Curly?"
"I wouldn't mind sparring with you, Shi Da Ke."
Their bickering escalated, and they were seconds away from fighting right in the main hall.
That was when Wong finally lost patience.
"Enough! The Sorcerer Supreme is still here!" he scolded.
As if suddenly remembering Luo Bai's presence, both Strange and Stark froze, then reluctantly fell silent.
Luo Bai, however, looked amused. "Do they always fight like this?" he asked curiously.
Wong sighed, nodding helplessly. "Yes. And they've actually fought each other several times."
"Who won?" Luo Bai asked with interest.
Wong shook his head. "I wouldn't know. I stop them every time."
"What a shame," Luo Bai muttered.
Wong gave him a surprised look and couldn't help but grumble under his breath, "Supreme Sorcerer, mage duels can cause serious chaos. 'What a shame'…"
Luo Bai laughed, "I was just saying."
Responsibilities Assigned
Clearing his throat, Luo Bai shifted the conversation back to business.
"Alright, I've finished explaining the matters regarding the New York Sanctum. Wong, take this floating throne to the treasury. Also, guide Strange through the Sanctum so he can familiarize himself with it."
Wong nodded and led Strange away.
That left Stark alone.
And it was obvious that he was still bothered by the New York Sanctum matter.
As soon as Wong and Strange were out of sight, he turned to Luo Bai and blurted out,
"Luo Bai, why can't I be the Guardian of the New York Sanctum?"
Everyone in Kamar-Taj knew how prestigious the title of Sanctum Guardian was.
In fact, aside from the Sorcerer Supreme and Wong, the Sanctum Guardian held the highest status in Kamar-Taj.
Stark never expected that Strange—a guy who joined later than him—would outrank him in the magical hierarchy.
Naturally, he felt a little unconvinced.
But Luo Bai had already thought this through.
After a brief pause, he replied, "Tony, you're different from Strange."
"Different how? Okay, I'll admit his talent is a tiny bit higher than mine—but just a tiny bit." Stark said quickly.
Luo Bai smiled. "I mean, you still have Pepper. If you became the Guardian of the New York Sanctum, you wouldn't have time for her. Besides, I have more important things planned for you."
Hearing that, Stark suddenly understood.
Right.
He had heard from others that Strange was originally a brilliant surgeon.
But after his accident, he lost everything.
Someone like that had nothing tying him down, making him the perfect fit for a Sanctum Guardian.
Meanwhile, Stark still had a life outside Kamar-Taj.
"Alright, that makes sense. In that case, he's probably more suited for the role than I am."
His expression shifted from mildly upset to relieved.
But then, remembering how Luo Bai had left him behind, he felt something was off.
So he quickly asked, "By the way, Luo Bai… you left me alone for a reason, right? There's something else you want from me?"
Luo Bai nodded.
"Tony, do you remember why you first came to Kamar-Taj?"
Stark immediately nodded.
"Of course. It was to create a more advanced magic-powered suit."
Luo Bai's expression became serious. "Now that Thanos is coming, I think it's time to put that technology to use. After all this time studying, do you have a rough idea of what your magic armor will look like?"
Stark's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Oh, hell yeah. Wanna see? I've been working on some pretty damn cool stuff!"
The Workshop
"Where exactly have you been working on this?" Luo Bai asked, curious.
"My dorm at Kamar-Taj, obviously," Stark said casually, waving his hand and drawing a portal in the air.
A swirling golden light appeared, revealing the inside of his dormitory.
The moment Luo Bai stepped in, he saw an absolute mess of research tools, densely packed into the small space.
At the center of the room floated a holographic projection screen, displaying a complete image of Earth.
Luo Bai immediately recognized the setup—it was just like the one in Stark's basement back home.
Now that he could use portals, it wasn't hard to guess that Stark had brought all of his research tools from home for convenience.
But considering how small the dorms at Kamar-Taj were, fitting all this equipment inside must have been a nightmare.
Looking around, Luo Bai noticed something strange.
"Where do you even sleep?" he asked.
"Oh, I just lie on the floor when I need a break," Stark replied, as if it were no big deal.
He didn't seem to care. Instead, he quickly dragged Luo Bai over to the projection screen.
Pointing at the display, he grinned. "Check this out. This is the Cosmic Monitoring 1.0 system I developed by combining magic with my tech. It's the first prototype that truly integrates magic and technology."
Luo Bai raised an eyebrow. "What does it do?"
"It detects abnormal energy fluctuations across the universe. If any unusual energy signatures approach Earth, it'll send out an alert and run an analysis. Basically, it works just like a standard detection device—but with magic, I've massively increased its range."
Luo Bai thought for a moment and asked, "So… can it scan the entire universe?"
Stark shrugged. "Not yet. This is only version 1.0. I'm still expanding its range—slowly but surely."
Luo Bai didn't say anything.
Instead, he raised his hand and injected a surge of magical energy into the system.
Immediately, the holographic image transformed.
Originally, the display only showed Earth and a few nearby planets.
But the moment Luo Bai's magic synced with the device, the entire outline of the universe came into view.
Luo Bai smiled. "There. Now you can monitor the entire universe."
Stark stared at the screen in stunned silence.
…Wait.
He had just barely reached version 1.0.
And now, with one move, Luo Bai had upgraded it to the final version?!
"Holy shit. This is… so freaking cool!" Stark exclaimed, immediately diving in to analyze the cosmic readings.
Through cosmic monitoring, Stark could now see almost the entire universe.
He could even observe some of the internal conditions of various planets.
For example, when Stark clicked on Xandar, he saw a scene of Thanos invading the planet with his army.
"Oh, what's happening to this planet? Is it being invaded?" Stark couldn't help but sigh.
Luo Bai nodded and replied, "This is Xandar. Thanos is currently attacking it with his forces."
"Do we need to stop it?" Stark asked quickly.
Luo Bai shook his head. "No. Every planet has its own destiny. Our responsibility is to protect Earth. For now, I'll expand the range of cosmic surveillance. In the future, I hope you can monitor the entire universe in real-time for Earth's sake."
Although Luo Bai himself could also observe the entire universe, keeping an eye on everything alone was a tedious task.
Moreover, he might soon need to travel in search of Phoenix Force fragments. Since Stark had an interest in such matters, it was better to entrust him with the task of cosmic surveillance.
At least this way, Luo Bai would have one less thing to worry about.
Apparently, Stark was more than happy to take on this responsibility.
"Of course! By the way, I've also developed some new inventions. Check this out—the Magic MK1 Battle Suit!" Stark said, excitedly showing off his latest creation.
He took out a battle suit that looked very different from his previous designs and explained,
"This is the first generation of a magic-infused battle suit that I recently developed.
Simply put, this suit enhances a mage's speed, strength, and defense.
And because it's infused with magic energy, it can absorb some of the enemy's magical attacks and convert part of that energy into the wearer's own power. The suit then releases it as a counterattack.
Also, for people who have never learned magic, this suit allows them to use basic defensive spells."
"For now, this is the best I can do, but I'll keep improving it." Stark finished.
After listening to Stark's explanation, Luo Bai nodded in satisfaction.
"Can it be mass-produced?" he asked.
Stark was taken aback. "Mass production? You want to make these in batches?"
Luo Bai smiled. "Didn't I tell you before that I had an important task for you?"
Stark folded his arms. "Alright, then what exactly is my mission?"
Luo Bai's expression turned serious. "You know that mages have different levels of talent, which means their strength varies greatly. But Kamar-Taj exists to protect Earth. So I believe… Tony, maybe you can lead Kamar-Taj's mages toward technological ascension."
"Thanos is coming soon. You should have all the mages wear the first-generation battle suits you developed to test their effectiveness.
If there's anything you're unsatisfied with, you can adjust and improve it."
Luo Bai said.
Now, Stark finally understood why Luo Bai had assigned this role to him.
Surprisingly, Stark was actually quite happy about it.
"No problem. But I get the most advanced suit, right?" Stark said with a smirk.
Luo Bai chuckled. "Of course. From now on, you'll be responsible for developing magic battle suits and monitoring the universe, Wizard Tony."
Stark was clearly excited about the role.
But after thinking about it for a moment, he hesitated and asked, "Wait… does every Kamar-Taj mage have to wear one of these?"
Luo Bai shook his head. "Of course not. Only those who pass the Will Test will be allowed to use them."
Hearing that, Stark sighed in relief.
The Will Test proved that a mage was 100% loyal to Kamar-Taj and Earth.
With that assurance, Stark had no more concerns.
Now that everything had been sorted out, Luo Bai assumed their conversation was over.
However, Stark suddenly looked up and asked, "So… does this mean my position in Kamar-Taj is more important than Strange's now?"
Luo Bai: "...…"
After a brief silence, Luo Bai sighed and smiled.
"Of course, Tony. You're the most important."
"That's what I like to hear~~" Stark grinned smugly.
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